Life in the Bristolwood

I try so hard to keep up here but it seems like so many times when I begin to write, something else calls me away, and I get distracted!  Family keeps me hoppin’!

Yesterday, we went down to the souther tier to try out some vehicles. It was a good thing we did!  Mark and I had kind of set our sights on one vehicle.  We took the kids along just to see what they thought.  Yikes!  The vehicle we had thought might just do will not do!  The leg room in the backseat is not nearly big enough when Mark puts his seat back to drive!  We thought there was plenty of space until we actually saw the kids sitting there! Wow…buying a new vehicle takes some time, considering all the options and conveniences.  We would like something pretty basic,  but some little add ons would be great.

Ah, so much for vehicles.

Photos from today!

Life will never, ever be the same.  No way.  This morning as we were working out back, Angus crawled up on a float that had been left out on the lawn.  Was he trying to tell us something?  Michelle thought so.  So, after all the work was done this morning,  Mark,  Ben and Michelle all went out into the pool.  And there they remained for quite some time.

Of course, Angus wanted to get into the swim as well.  Literally.  This Scottie loves the water.  He loves to swim.  I had hesitated to purchase a life vest for the wee wonder, as I wasn’t sure he would ever get any use from it.  I guess he is proving to me that such a purchase would be just grand!

As soon as he hit the pool, Michelle let him go on his own power and he gleefully paddled away.

Yes, Michelle was right next to him, stepping out of the way just long enough to take a picture. Of course, the antics continued on. And on….

Ben convinced Angus that he could easily swim to a float and hop on. Watching this sequence was so funny!

First, he latches on….then, begins to pull himself up…

He then pops the tail end out of the water….at this point, he looks like a sea lion coming up…now if we could teach him to clap his paws and utter, “arf,arf”!

Finally he’s on! As we know, that calls for a good SHAKE!

Oh, the humor of it all! Then, as if that isn’t enough, the lad spots a s-q-u-i-r-r-e-l in a tree.  Suddenly he hops forward and takes the most awesome stance!

It was getting late and I was hungry!  I had a hankering for a good fish fry, but I wasn’t about to slave over a hot stove.  Yes, today’s temperature rivaled yesterday’s. We do not have central air and the house was stifling hot….Michelle called in an order down to a small diner in Woodville and I would go pick up the meals.

I was getting ready to leave when Michelle snatched Murphy from me.  I called her, asking what she was going to do with the boy and she just walked away.  I had to go in the house for a few minutes and when I went out to see how everyone was doing, Murphy was…..well…..

Wait a minute….Murphy HATES the water.  He sure looks comfy on that float, though! Michelle removed him from the float and decided to check out his “doggy paddle”. Oh glory!!!! That dog acted like a two-year-old child.  He did this rotating paws thing where he slowly paddled one paw, then the other.  It looked like he was slapping his paws on the water.

As though realizing he was the brunt of a joke, he turned his body backwards.  I couldn’t tell whether he was seeking approval from Michelle or me,  but it just added further to the laughter!

You must understand, Murphy is my pup, through and through.  He shadows me and is intimidated by new things if I am not there with him.  Michelle and Ben then did such a funny thing!

Yes, rub-a-dub-dub, two Scots in a tub!

It was getting late.  I needed to pick up our supper and I wanted to make sure everyone and everything was okay on the homefront before leaving.  Of course, when I mentioned leaving,  Murphy would have called out, “take me! take me!” were he able to speak! Michelle took  the boys out of the tub and Murphy began to make his thoughts known as he started swimming toward me.

When I called him and clapped my hands, the little fellow kicked into high gear and moved headlong at a most impressive rate, with very impressive splashes!

The little fellow wanted desperately to go with me to escape the pool madness!  How could I tell him no?  I removed him from the pool and before I could even grab a towel to wipe him down,  he was off running into the front lawn, rolling about like a big ole happy pig in the mud.  With that,  I got into the car,  called Murphy, and when he hopped in, we were on our way.

We had a good dinner, then everyone decided they were shriveled enough, they got out.  Yes, the insanity of the day called for Ben,  Mark, and Michelle taking their dinners on the pool rail while I sat at the table on the deck eating mine. What a totally fun time we had with the Scottie boys today.  Funny how much happiness those two bring!

One more shot of Angus.  My favorite of the day! 

Angus,  with the very, very brave heart!

 Yesterday, as the day progressed, so did the temperature on the thrmometer!  I remember years ago when the kids were little, there was a day when the thermometer on out front porch read 96 degrees.  Well, yesterday, it actually rose just a tad above the 96 degree mark.  It was so incredibly hot!

Michelle has been lobbying for Mark to join her and Ben in the pool for a long time.  Mark loves that swimming pool. He bought it and set it up about a year before the spinal cord injury, in the hopes that the kids would learn how to swim.  When they were little, we spent a good deal of time in the water, playing, splashing, and teaching the kids about swimming. 

But I digress.

Michelle, Ben, and I all worked together to safely get Mark into the pool….It might look a bit funny to an observer, (and a whole lot less than graceful)  but it is important to make sure he enters without hurting his legs or feet as he cannot feel them very well.

After Mark was in the pool, Michelle carefully put Angus into the pool as well.  Angus enjoyed riding on the float, while Mark pulled him around.  Mark is able to move around in the pool so much more freely than on land.  He is planning on going into the pool again today as the temperature once again is on the rise!

Late in the afternoon, Michelle and Ben said they wanted to go to Penn Yan to play football. I immediately thought no way!!! They talked to their friends, and they asked Michelle and Ben to come on over and they would go swimming instead.  That sounded like a far better plan in my book.  Everyone hopped out of the pool..well, we helped lift Mark out,  and we were off again.  When we left home, the temperature was right at 96 degrees.

When we got to Penn Yan, the temperature was 100 degrees.  I thought I was seeing wrong…nope, the temperature really was 100 degrees.  It was a scorcher!  Now, this heatwave might not be so bad, except for the fact that we have had little rainfall in weeks.   We wandered on over to the Red Jccket Park and I thought I would take a few pictures.

The first shows how the grass has dried to the point that it looks like straw! The photo is dark…I was shooting into the sun and it is greatly shaded in this (grassy) area.

I (thought!) that as I moved down the hill a bit toward the lake, surely the grass might actually be “green”?,  but no.

Wow. The brown dried up grass really made it feel even hotter.  I didn’t want to linger too long. I went on over to the Red Jacket statue….the plaque below explains a bit.

I especially like the detailing on the back side of the statue’s jacket.  The intricate details depicting items from nature found in the region always fascinates me.  It is so beautifully done.

I decided to defy the heat around me, walking all the way down to the lake.  Phew!  The view is beautiful with the autumnal golds, but no!  It is summer!  It should be bright and vivid greens!

On my way back to the truck, I came upon this ginormous oak tree!  It was at least six feet across at the bottom!

No wonder the Bible speaks of the mighty oak!

Mark and I drove around a little, taking in sights and watching people.  People were warned to stay indoors because of the heat, but the lake draws folks.  Many swimming areas all around the state have issued comments that they will remain open for an extra hour to allow people to be refreshed in the water!

The heat is on for a few more days.  I cannot wait until this hot weather leaves…for GOOD!  I really, really like cool weather much better.

This morning,  Michelle was up bright and early for her Rochester Institute of Technology orientation.  Truth be told, our girl was a bit hesitant about going….this was a “Michelle only” event….no Mom or Dad to help walk her through it.  Although Michelle exhibits confidence, every now and then, she gets a little “stage fright”. We encouraged her she would be fine and will even be meeting new friends along her way.

The weather forecast was for hot and humid, with a threat of scattered (but perhaps violent) thunderstorms.  Since I have had breathing issues the past few days,  we decided it might be wise for me to remain home with the Scottie boys.  I was happy because when no one is around,  I find myself more at ease and able to rest.

So, off went Mark, Ben, and Michelle this morning.

I enjoyed having some free time to look around on my Facebook account.  Sad to say,  I usually miss much of what is said or going on as I rarely have time to sit and read for long!  I only read the most recent of postings, so I am really behind on what is happening in everyone’s lives!  Oops!

After spending a few hours doing a little laundry, straightening the house, and washing dishes,  I looked at the Scottie boys who both were looking a bit forelorn.  Hmmm….perhaps they wanted to cool down a little with a ride in the Explorer.  When I mentioned the words “ride in the car”,  their tails began wagging!  Okay, so a car ride it was!

We drove on down to Woodville just because it isn’t that far away, and also, there is just something about life at the lake (not the people, but the birds, fish, and animals!) that excites me.  As we pulled into the boat launch, I spotted two white heads in the “Eagle tree”.  Oh, how my heart longed to be able to kayak out to see them! I took my camera and walked around a little, just taking some photos here and there…

Not satisfied with the 200mm zoom of my lens,  I stepped into the lake wearing my flipflops.  Thinking I should brace myself for the chill, I was shocked when the water actually felt warm!

As I was walking around, a car pulled into the parking lot with what looked like a sailboat on top. (It was a flat board, as opposed to a kayak)  I scooted into the Explorer and moved away, as I was blocking the launch area. I tried to nonchalantly watch the woman…she looked older, and she was alone, save for her dog,  launch this craft.  She slid the board down off the top of her roof, and placed it into the water.  She then got a paddle from the car, and had her dog follow her. Drat!  i didn’t notice the sequence of events…whether it was she or the dog who got onto the boat first…

The dog stood solidly at the front of the little boat as his mistress paddled out onto the lake. Guessing from the mostly grey muzzle, my guess was that this dog was an old hand at these adventures!  Amazing.

The rest of today’s photos were taken with the small point and shoot Canon camera….yes, I carry both cameras a lot!

One of the greatest challenges of using a point and shoot camera, versus a D-SLR (digital-single lens reflex)  is the lagging shutter speed.  With a D-SLR, as soon as you press the shutter button, you capture exactly what you see in the viewfinder. The typical point and shoot takes a bit more time to hone in and shoot.

That said, I challenged myself to capture a photo of a hummingbird with the small camera.  It was a challenge, for sure!  Add to that the lack of lighting.  With trees shadowing our front porch (I am NOT complaining here!) it makes lighting a bit of an enigma. 

Plus, these little birds move…..fast! That bugger was playing peekaboo in the next photo!

The Scotties and I were having such a lazy summer dog day!  We finally got a call from Michelle at about five saying they were on their way home.  Wow!  What a long day this was.  Michelle was beyond excited….she was so happy!  She loved the orientation and she even met some people she already knows! 

After the call, Angus and I decided we would go outside to relax a bit.  Michelle told me it was 91 degrees in Rochester!   Here in the trees, it was only 82.  as we settled in on the hammock,  a nice breeze gently cooled us.  Hanging suspended midair on fabric in the shade of trees is a terrific way to relax and cool off!  (Too bad I had run out of lemonade!)

It was a little tricky holding a Scottie, leash, and camera, while mounting the hammock, but Angus and I made it look easy! Or not!  Angus got a bit nervous, but settled down.  Thankfully, Murphy was content to remain under the bed in the house. Two Scotties would have been very difficult!

Of course, with both Angus and I delicately balanced on the hammock, there was no way to make it swing back and forth. One false move and either of us, or both, might fall onto the ground.  And so, we settled in, just enjoying the time of relaxation…

Until I got just a little stir crazy!

That is my favorite necklace, by the way…handmade by a soapmaking friend all the way over in Oregon!

Sunday morning, we got up and went on a little adventure.  We drove a couple of hours to Allegany State Park where the park was basically filled to capacity!  Instead of taking our camper along with us on this trip, we took tents.  I had a sneaky feeling this trip was going to be really different!

We pulled into the campground and were given a choice of three sites from which to choose.  The girl at the desk advised Mark to take a certain site, so we did.  In driving over to take a look,  one a couple of sites down was better.  The kids began to set up tents and we drove back to the administration building to switch sites.  As soon as I told the girl, she informed me the better site had just been taken. Great!  So, we rushed back to tell the kids we couldn’t take the better site.

We set up on the smaller cite and as I looked around, I could not believe how many people were there!  The campground was totally packed, save for the one site we decided not to take.  It was near the restrooms and I had visions of people coming by all night long,  making Angus and Murphy restless.

As it was, we were next to some people with a Lab that tried to walk into one tent and jump into our truck. Why should anyone obey the six-foot leash law, after all?  Argh!  Our little boys stayed in the truck much of the time so they wouldn’t get nervous and bark…there were so many “wandering” dogs!

Later on, the last site was taken by two guys on motorcycles.  They were rather interesting…the next morning, I saw them lying on the ground, wrapped in blankets mummy-style!  They slept out under the stars!!!! That was interesting. Oh, and the stars?  They were totally awesome!

Here are the very few photos I took at the park.

I love this photo!  The little girl was playing in the stream and the light from the setting sun was filtering in so nicely, highlighting the girl like a spotlight!

so, why did the turkey cross the road?  Yes, this turkey was just enjoying a Saturday evening stroll along the road.

I must admit at this point that I am one spoiled rotten camper.  Yes, I was missing our camper….terribly!  I missed the comfort of the couch and chair,  a nice little kitchen, running water, and yes, even the air conditioner!  As evening rolled around, so did the thick smell of smoke.  Everyone had a campfire!

Mark found out there were going to be fireworks at Quaker Lake at 10 pm.  We went and I (foolishly) took the new camera. Too bad I didn’t take the Nikon…I would have gotten more and much better pictures.

For some reason, the Canon had some trouble with the more colorful fireworks, but that is okay.  After all, the very ***best*** display of color was on our way to the fireworks.

When we got back, we decided to do something we never do when camping!  We made a campfire! Michelle was tired, so Ben, Mark, and I sat around our little cozy fire and chatted.  It was pretty late when we started the fire, so we knew we were going to be staying up late.  We were so enjoying ourselves.

Then it happened.  The Scotties were in the truck and we heard a distinct “click” sound.  Yes sir…Angus had locked the power windows on the truck.  Everything we needed was inside the truck…including both sets of keys!  So….Ben and I took a later-than-midnight stroll about a mile long to the admin building!  We walked along the bike path, and although the stars were beautiful, it was dark!

When we arrived, I told the police we had a rather unfortunate situation at our site.  After explaining the problem, one of the officers said they bought a kit for just such a time as this.  He reassured me we were not the first to have this happen. In fact,  he said one night, he opened five doors with keys locked inside!

The officer was so incredibly sweet. He worked on the door until finally the latch popped!  Angus and Murphy were such good boys. They never barked or carried on at all, even though this man with a strange looking glow-in-the-dark wire was intruding their space at one o’clock in the morning!

Ah yes, nothing like a good crisis to end the day!  The officer told us he would hate to think anyone would ever call a locksmith in Olean to get their door open.  He said he thinks the base charge is $250.  And, he said the locksmith knows the police can do it for free!

Ah yes, the fun times living with Scotties.  And, speaking of Scotties, here is a photo of Angus as we were driving to the campground along the park road.  We weren’t going very fast and he thought the air was smelling very fine….

I thought he looked all the world just like a black bear cub!

about the rain? Hmmm…Well, I think they might have actually been enjoying it this evening.

We had some banking to do in Canandaigua, so when the kids said they wanted to meet some of their friends there, Mark said sure.  We were off and on our way.  I guess it didn’t matter when the rain came…the kids met their friends and didn’t mind. 

While the kids were playing baseball,  Mark, the Scottie boys, and I did our errands. First stop…the bank.  Now, Angus is a pretty smart little fellow.  Show him something a time or two, and, by golly, he has figured things out. So, when we pulled into the drive up teller, Angus hopped up on Mark’s lap to “present” himself to the teller.  Since we were not at the teller’s window, Angus knew he needed to hop up so the girl would see him.

Just as sure as sure can be, Murphy sensed Angus’ excitement and he popped up in the rear window.  Of course, two Scottie Dogs with their heads hanging out the windows of a vehicle would be very hard to miss seeing! The spot where we pulled in has one of those air operated tubes that one places their banking inside a little container and the air sucks it up and then returns it when the teller is done.  Angus. knows. this.

Mark said he is pretty sure Angus doesn’t understand the logistics of banking, but he is sure the lad knows where cookies come from!  Sure enough,  the air noise began, and Angus grew tense with anticipation. As the little container made its way to our truck, Angus watched it, then impatiently waited for Mark to open it up. 

Angus stares down at the wonderful cookie machine!

Eureka!  Angus and Murphy both began dancing with delight as the scent of the treat permeated the truck’s interior…

After the exciting trip to the bank, we went to a couple of stores. Afterwards, I was hungry for an ice cream cone! Mark drove over to Abbott’s and then we pulled around to the back of the store while I ate. 

Over to our right, there was a huge pond puddle behind Denny’s Restaurant.  We watched as several ducks romped about, swimming in the water.  There were two pairs of  Mallard adults and eight ducklings that were probably about three-fourths the size of the adults….teens, I suppose!

As soon as I finished eating my cone,  I hopped out (into the rain, no less!) of the truck and grabbed my little bucket of cracked corn. Walking over toward the flock,  I was thinking they might just disperse.  I stopped a good distance away and pried the lid off the top of the bucket.  Grabbing a handful of corn,  I pitched it out in front of me, and the little waterfowl rushed toward me with wreckless abandon,  as though they had not been fed in ages!

Those ducklings sure were cute and even ate right out of my hand.  I fed them a lot of corn, then went and sat with Mark in the pickup.  The ducklings grazed and ate, then headed to yet another puddle where they dipped up and down in the water, splashing their little bodies and preening themselves.  It was so delightful to see.  Mama Duck stayed right with her children and would peck at any other ducks that wandered too near her “chidlren”. Within a few minutes, the whole brood was once again grazing where I had fed them….then back to the puddle to clean up!

Mark and I came to the conclusion these ducks were far from complaining about the weather…Instead, they were loving every minute of it!

I thought I would show you a couple more photos….

I love this new "face" that just showed up this morning!

First of all, Happy Father’s Day!

I was feeling a tad better yesterday, so when the kids went to a party down in Naples,  I went along for the ride. Mark needed to pick up some parts to fix the Explorer and since the Advance Auto in Canandaigua didn’t have some of the needed items, he decided to ride on down to Dansville where they were available.  I felt up to the ride, so we dropped the kids off and were on our way.

As an aside, the party they were attending was for a friend they met years ago. He was also homeschooled and began taking college classes at age eleven!  He began attending college full time while still young, and now at the ripe old age of eighteen, (he is a month younger than Michelle) he holds a  Bachelor’s Degree in communications!  Wow. At the age when many kids are just graduating from high school, he is now done with four years of college!

Well, then, Mark and I made it to Dansville and I asked if I could grab something to eat at Arby’s.  I haven’t been very hungry while being sick,  so my poor stomach has shrunken a good deal.   I got some chicken tenders, fries, and a Pepsi.  I ate two pieces of chicken and maybe half of the fries.  The Pepsi  tasted so good….while out, I felt like I was burning up and I wondered if I had a fever.  When we passed a business with one of those big signs with the temperature displayed, it said 91.  I guess that would account for my (great!) discomfort.

These flags were flying outside Arby’s.

There was a lot of little airplane activity in the sky above us, but the new compact camera only has four times zoom, so any shots might be useless!

After eating, we drove over and parked under a great shade tree and Mark got online and ordered the parts he needed.  He discovered that if he ordered online, a generous 40% could be taken off the price of parts!  Because the coupon offers required that you spend  $50,  $75,  $85, or $100,  Mark had to submit four different orders, as well as an online one that will deliver the parts to our house.  He basically got $700 worth of parts for less than $400!  Being very mechanically inclined, Mark doesn’t feel the least bit nervous about doing auto repairs!  Of course, he won’t do the work himself, but Ben will probably learn a lot!  I still shudder just thinking about taking a vehicle apart!

We picked the kids up after getting all our parts and then came home.  I was exhausted even not really doing anything strenuous!

Today, we weren’t sure about what we were going to do since I am still unsure about feeling 100%. We wound up just spending the day lying low.  We went out late this afternoon and I picked up a few groceries…mainly lemonade and tea…I have been so much more thirsty than hungry throughout this “bug”.  Afterwards, Mark and Ben went into WalMart for quite a long time!

When they finally came back out, Ben was so excited. Mark bought him a new baseball bat, glove, and ball. He has been enjoying hitting a ball with friends, and his old bat is far too small!  After Ben and Michelle ate, Ben asked if we would drove on over to one of the FlCC fields so he and Michelle could hit the ball together.

Mark, the Scotties, and I sat in the truck, watching the kids.  Both of the kids are pretty good at giving the ball a good whack! We were impressed.  When Mark whistled out the window,  Angus got so excited, he held his nose straight up to the sky and began to join in with “arooooooo”!

That was quite the experience! Of course, Murphy was not the least bit impressed!

The sky above us was so pretty!

The roof of the building in the lower right hand corner (rounded roof) is the CMAC center where many artists (even well-known!) perform.  As we sat and watched, the sky got prettier….

and prettier…

and on the way home, I had to holler “Stop” to Mark!….so I could get this….

Quite the lovely ending to Father’s Day, 2011!

I didn’t misspell the title.  My space bar is and has been acting up. Sometimes it spaces, other times, not!  Anyway, when I saw the title, I thought it looked cool so I left it!   Then I tried to type above the above photo and after trying to move the photo several times, I GAVE UP!  Argh.   That dragonfly above really caught my attention with its BLUE eyes!

Yesterday, as I was  going through some photos remotely (Mark stores them for me on a computer so as not to clog up my laptop) I sat outside and a hummingbird buzzed up to the feeder.  I quickly grabbed my camera, but just as I snapped, the little bugger  “lifted off”!

And….as I was sitting on the porch swing,  these annoying bees kept buzzing by.  I am not frightened of bees, but these are annoying to say the least!  They apparently gather mud, then look for tiny places to build a little nest. 

Ben had bought a handy dandy “bug zapper” and I thought it was so stupid.  Well, the thing looks like a tennis racket and there is a little button to press.  While pressing the button, it activates a “charge” (via batteries) and zaps a bug as one swats it.  This little device has really comein handy….I think I have zapped close to 100 evil bees! I would never use it on bumblebees or honeybees, but these monsters…..YES! (and just think of the calories I am burning…hehehe)

When we were at the mall the other day, there were families of geese everywhere…..

Mark has been painting Ben’s door for his room. (now in its final stages..)  Ben wanted the door in his room to be a deep wine color.  Well, Mark said okay, but he didn’t want the part facing the hallway that color…a little too BOLD!  So, Mark diligently painted the door red facing Ben’s room! As he worked in the garage, Angus slept below the door. (it was propped up on sawhorses)   The little fellow wadded up a section of dropcloth  and….dropped off to sleep!

Have a great weekend!

I really need to dump my photos off my cards!  Yikes! I keep saying Iwill keep up from now on, but it seems like photos add up FAST!

Here are a couple of photos I took a few days ago in Woodville.

I love that RED boat! Since the lake flooded the parking lot at the boat launch for a couple of weeks in April, Iwas surprised to see the wild Irises growing!  I thought they might have been messed up or that they might bloom much later!

For Memorial Day, we had placed a new bouquet of flowers on my father-in-law’s grave.  I also snapped a couple photos of an eagle memorial that wasat the cemeteryto honor those who served in the US armed forces. My father-in-law loved eagles!

Here is what is gracing our dinner table.

I love Carnations.  I love their spicy scent and their appearance.  I think the pink ones are especially pretty with the white Baby’s Breath. These were the combination I chose for flowers for our wedding!

Okay,then.  Are you sitting down?  This next photo is of “someone” who lives not too far away. I only had the little Canon camera with meon the dayItook this photo and I was bummed I had left the Nikon with its telephoto at home….

I aim to get a BETTER photo, but in the meantime….If you travel down Route 64,  just south of the Town of Bristol (maybe 2 or 3 miles?) look at the small blue house on the west side of the road.  You will see the recliner sitting there and perhaps….well…

Two kids,  plus one.